It's impossible to miss the fact that some of the hybrid vehicles on the roads today aren't offering a huge increase in fuel economy over the new breed of much more efficient traditional vehicles. Nissan is proving that with its new 2013 Altima which gets impressive fuel economy courtesy of a redesigned 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine.

Nissan promises 38 mpg on the highway from the 2.5-liter engine. The Altima is a midsize sedan that will start at $21,500 in 2.5 trim. For those that want a little more power at the expense of fuel economy, the 3.5-liter V6 models start at $25,360.

"In a segment as critical as this, with longtime nameplates and new challengers fighting for every sale, it's not enough to just target the competition. You have to think outside – and far above – the segment," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. "We created the new Altima to set a clearly recognized benchmark for many years to come."

The Altima is available with Advanced Drive-Assist Display and Bose premium audio. The car comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phone calls and can be had with driver assistance technology such as Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning and more. This new Altima is one of five all new models that Nissan will be introducing over the next 15 months.

The 2013 Altima also comes equipped with the oddly named “zero-gravity seats” which are designed to help reduce muscular and spinal loads and improve blood flow. The idea according to Nissan is to reduce fatigue over long periods behind the wheel.

The 2.5-liter QR25 engine in the new Altima includes variable valve timing on intake camshafts to help make the torque curve flatter. The engine also has new thermoplastic resin intake manifold allowing for more power. The engine has 182 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque.

The fuel economy numbers for the QR25 are preliminary, so we’ll have to wait a while before the official numbers come down. BMW was quick to the gun to tout 36 mpg highway on its all-new 2012 328i, but then got smacked down by the EPA. BMW now has to shows an EPA highway rating of 33 mpg.

The 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder in the 2013 Ford Fusion is rated for 37 mpg on the highway.

Considering that BMW has been blasting 36mpg in print and TV advertising and on the window sticker and has been harping on the fact since its introduction, and then to have its highway ratings cut by nearly 10% is a big deal. City rating were also cut by 1 mpg.

This affects BMW's CAFE rating as well.

AFAICT, the fuel economy numbers that manufacturers send the EPA are mostly on the "honor system" as the government doesn't have the $$$ or the resources to test every single new model. But when they do test, you better be prepared.

Looks like BMW got the short end of the stick on this one once the EPA actually got one to verify BMW's claims.